Massage cup or tip.



J. B. PEY. MASSAGE CUP 0R TIP. APPLICATION FILED MAY 25, 1909.

Patented Apr. 26, 1910.

mat.

FNOTO-LIYNO UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH B. FEY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

MASSAGE CUP OR TIP.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH B. FEY, citizen of the United States of America, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Massage Cups or Tips, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a massage cup or tip, the object of the invention being to provide a device of this character adapted to be secured to the air conducting tube of a massage machine, and provided with a flexible face to which vibration or pulsations may be imparted by the alternate influx and exhaust of air from the interior thereof.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which now follows.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a massage cup constructed in accordance with the invention, Fig. 2 is a sectional view thereof, and Fig. 3 is a modified form thereof.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 5 designates the body portion of the cup. This body portion is made of rubber or like flexible material, but is of such thickness as to render it comparatively stiff though it will yield to a certain extent if considerable pressure is applied to the parts to be treated. This body portion 5 is continued to form an integral web or diaphragm 6 of thin and very yielding rubber or like material. Secured within the neck extension 7 of the body portion 5 by a clamp 8 is a sleeve 9 adapted to have the air conducting tube from the massage machine connected thereto. A port 10 is formed through a flange 11 of this sleeve and a screw 12 is threaded therein and is adapted to cut off or control I the passage of air through said port.

In Fig. 3, the structure is substantially the same except that I have shown a body portion 5 and the web 6 as separate parts, the web 6 being cemented upon the otherwise open portion of the cup 5 instead of being rendered integral therewith as in Fig. 2. To render the web 6 integral with the body portion 5 in Fig. 2, said web may be vulcanized to the body portion. It is common in connection with a device of this character to employ machines that create an alternate air pressure and vacuum, and it Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 25, 1909.

Patented Apr. 26, 1910. Serial No. 498,172.

will be understood that when this cup is attached by means of a tube (not shown) to such a machine, alternate pressure and vacuum will be created within the body of the cup 5 through the channel 14. This will result in imparting rapid pulsations to the flexible diaphragm 6.

I am aware of the fact that massage cups having flexible diaphragms have heretofore been employed, but I am not aware that such flexible diaphragms have ever been employed in connect-ion withan also flexible body portion. The provision of this flexible body portion is of the utmost importance for the use of metallic parts in any description at such points as would cause said metallic parts to come in contact with the skin of the person treated is avoided and harshness of the treatment is obviated by virtue of the fact that the body of the cup will itself yield if the cup is pressed with considerable force against the surface being treated. It is at times desirable to employ-an escape port such as has been indicated at 10. This is particularly true when the device is being used in connection with a machine that creates only pressure impulses and not corresponding vacuum impulses. However, it is to be understood that the invention relates more particularly to the construction of a cup and that the device may be used without this port and valve if desired.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that simple and eflicient means are herein provided for accomplishing the objects of the invention, but while the elements shown and described are well adapted to serve the purposes for which they are intended, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise con struction set forth, but includes within its purview such changes as may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A massage cup comprising a yielding hollow body portion and a flexible imperforate diaphragm covering said body portion, said body portion being comparatively stiff and said diaphragm being of thinner and more yielding material than the body portion, and said diaphragm being integral with said body portion,

2. A massage cup comprising a yielding hollow body portion and a flexible diaphragm covering said body portion, said body portion being comparatively stilt and tudinally through said sleeve parallel with said diaphragm being of thinner and more said channel, a vacuum cup secured to said yielding material than the body portion, a l sleeve, and a screw threaded into said sleeve sleeve, means for securing said sleeve to said and adapted to close said port.

"5 cup, a port formed in said sleeve in addition In testimony whereof I affix my signature 15 to the channel of said sleeve and a valve for in presence of two Witnesses. controlling the flow of fluid through said v JOSEPH B. FEY. port. Witnesses 3. A sleeve having the usual channel H. C. SHERMAN, 10 formed therethrough a port formed longi- THos. M. SHERMAN. 

